LFT on Race to the Top: Now the work begins

Louisiana made the first cut in the competition for nearly $4.4 billion in new federal education funds. Now, as LFT President Steve Monaghan says in this press release, the real work will begin.

That's because the work done thus far has largely been theoretical or, as Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek likes to put it, "at the 10,000 foot level."

Not that the deliberations that went into the state's application were easy or uncomplicated, or without controversy. But that was the level at which philosophical differences were explored, and agreements reached that promise great flexibility to educators at the "ground level." The success of Race to the Top will now be determined by those local educators.

As Monaghan puts it, "The work to be done must occur in an arena of mutual respect and with a strong commitment to do what is good for children, is effective, and is fair to educators and staff.”

Gannett reporter Mike Hasten covered the story for this report.